Improved apparatus for separating and collecting gas from petroleum



I. H. HOBBS. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING GAS PROM PETROLEUMNo. 44,421. Patented Sept. 27, 1864.

Inventor I Witnesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC -H. HOBBS, OF PHILADELPHIA- PENNSYLVANIA- IMPROVED APPARATUS FORSEPARATING AND COLLECTINGGAS FROM PETROLEUM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,421, dated S ptember2'7, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.-

;Be it known that I, ISAAC H. Horns, of the city of Philadelphia, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in theapparatus for restoring the production of oil-wells that have ceased toflow, and. for separating and preserving the gas thereof for use and Ivdo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists, substantially, as hereinafterdescribed and specified, in the employment of any suitable lift andforce pump between and in combination with an exhaust or vacuum vesselcommunieating with the oil in the well, and a capacious receiverprovided with a pipe fixed at its apex and communicating with anysuitable gasometer, and with a discharge-pipe for running 011' the oil,into barrels or any suit able holder.

In the drawing, A represents the exhaust or vacuum vessel, and a thepipe communi eating therewith and'with the oil of the well; B, thereceiver; b, the pipe leading there from to the gasometer, (not shown inthe draw ing,) and b the discharge-orifice for the oil, and (J the liftand force pump, communicating with both vacuum-vessel A and the receiverB.

The exhaust-vessel A is a holiow cylinder,

of boiler-iron, and the pipe a" is theupper end of the usual well-pipe,attached to or near the upper side of the vessel A.

The receiver B is also an iron vessel, and has a flat bottom andafioine-top, into which latter one end of the gas-pipe 1) opens, whileits other end is made to extend to and open into anysuitable gasometer.The dischargeorifice b is intended to be connected with a pipe leadingto any suitable oil-holder, and to be fitted with an appropriate stopand flow cock. 7

The lift and force pump 0 in the present instance is intended torepresent one of that class which is provided with two valved pis tonsjointed respectively to each end of a lever in the central portion, 0,of the pump,the said lever being fixed on' a shaft passing through theportion 0, and arranged to be operated in an oscillating manner by meansof an outside lever, a connected with the motive power; but as anysuitable lift and force pump is intended to be used, the interiorconstruction ofthe pump 0 need not'be shown in the drawing.

Operation: The lift and force pump being put in operation, a vacuum willbe produced in the vessel A, and the pressureof the atmosphere beingthus removed, the oil in the wellpipe cwill flow into the saidvessel-the head of course being snfficientfrom whence'it will be drawnand forced by the pump into the receiving vessel B. The stop cockof thepipe attached at b is now to be closed and kept so until the oil shallreach above the said orificesay to the dotted line ac-when it isreopened sufliciently to keep the inflowing oil always a little abovethe said outlet b and consequently the gas will rise from the oil intothe dome, and be continually pressed forward through the pipe 1) intothe gasometer.

It will therefore be readily seen that by means of this apparatus wellsthat have ceased to flow can again be made productive, (there being ofcourse a sufiicient head,) and that the gas will also be separated fromthe oil, and preserved for use as fuel, light, 820.; besides, theapparatus is s mple and inexpensive.

I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not desire to claimeither the exhaust-vessel A, the receiving-vessel B, or the lift andforce pump 0, individually considered; but,

Having fully described my improved apparatus, what I claim as newtherein of my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,'is-

The employment of a lift and force pump, 0, between the exhaust orvacuum vessel A and the receiver B, the whole being constructed,arranged, and combined to operate together in the manner described, forthe purposes specified,

ISAAC H. HOBBS.

Witnesses:

BENJ. Moarson, JAMES MGCALUN.

